Casino heist movies may be entertaining, but robbing an actual casino requires someone with incredible courage. There is always the risk of getting caught and caught again by security personnel if something goes wrong.
Reginald Johnson managed to rob Treasure Island Casino. Unfortunately, he had become something of a career criminal as some of his previous heists even involved hurtful acts against people.
Stardust Casino Heist
Roubling a casino may never cross most people’s minds; more likely they dream about becoming rich or living out a scene from one of George Clooney’s films than actually attempt it themselves. Yet casino heists do happen and often leave them reeling from losses; sometimes intricate plans have proven successful while other times simpler approaches may suffice just as effectively.
Early in 2014, two high rollers at Crown Casino were discovered plotting with one another to commit one of the largest casino heists ever attempted, taking $32 million from them through an inside job performed at the casino involving infiltrating its surveillance system and providing tips to an overseas gambler on when and how to place bets.
Bill Brennan was an employee at Stardust Casino in Las Vegas for many years when, at the end of one shift, he abruptly walked out carrying an armful of cash and chips without anyone taking notice when he walked out the door with them at shift’s end. It wasn’t until hours later when management noticed something had gone missing that they called police; since then he’s remained missing. Since 1992 he’s been listed on America’s Most Wanted list as a suspect.
Bellagio Casino Heist
The Bellagio casino heist stands as one of the greatest heists ever committed, taking place early in 2014 by criminals who stole an astounding $32 million through partnership with an overseas high-roller who received advice on where and when to place his bets – taking all without incident and making a clean getaway with it all.
This international heist made headlines worldwide and even inspired a Hollywood film – yet its true story remains much more intriguing.
Anthony Carleo had recently robbed Suncoast Casino for $19,000 cash. On arriving at Bellagio, on his motorcycle, he proceeded to seize some of their most valuable chips from a craps table before jumping back on his motorcycle and leaving.
Carleo attempted to sell the stolen Bellagio chips on an online casino forum but was caught when he made remarks boasting about his theft on that same forum. Carleo served from 9-27 years in prison for both of these heists combined; at the time they occurred it was one of the largest ever casino heists ever committed and led casinos across North America to add bars around their entrances.
Circus Circus Casino Heist
Casino resort heists often involve corrupt employees; however, other robberies can occur completely independently – as was the case in 1993 when Heather Tallchief carried out the Circus Circus Casino Heist. Heather was responsible for pulling off this inside job robbery from within her casino resort. Tallchief worked for Loomis Armored Vehicle Company as an armored vehicle driver responsible for transporting cash from casinos to their banks. On one shift at Circus Circus she filled its ATM machines before stopping her route at its endpoint and driving off with all of the money accumulated during that route – this successful heist saw Roberto Solis (convicted murderer and prison poet) make off with over $3.1 Million which they then used to purchase fake documents before moving their lives from Las Vegas to Amsterdam where they are still hiding today.
The Netflix documentary Heist examines three separate heists carried out by ordinary people. Tallchief’s heist features archive footage, interviews with her family and accomplices, reenactments and more – making for a compelling viewing experience!
Many of us associate casino heists with Hollywood films featuring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, yet these events occur more often than we realize. Some of the largest casino heists ever were caused by employees taking an inside job heist plan into effect – although most casino employees tend to be honest individuals, it still possible for one with the right plan in place to steal large sums of money from an employer.
London Ritz Casino Heist
Robing a casino may seem impossible. These establishments typically boast high security measures with hundreds of surveillance cameras and staff at work 24/7 – yet despite this it still occurs! Although it might sound like something from Ocean’s Eleven movie plots, many individuals have attempted stealing money from gambling establishments.
Some use modern technology to get past the house edge. For instance, in 2004, three Eastern Europeans entered London’s Ritz Club casino and successfully made off with over 1.3 million pounds through using hidden laser scanners in their mobile phones that connected to computers allowing them to predict where roulette balls would land on a wheel.
This was the largest casino heist ever, though other smaller heists have also garnered considerable media coverage. For example, in 2013 a group of men wearing ski masks made headlines when they robbed Emperors Palace casino in Johannesburg, South Africa with sledge hammers, forcing guests and employees to the ground while emptying all cash registers before driving off with the loot.
Some heists take place inside casinos, making them harder to detect. One such instance occurred at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia: A high-roller was invited by VIP services manager to an elite blackjack table; in reality though he was being assisted by another person; later on this person managed to break into surveillance systems and listen in on other player cards through an earpiece, ultimately leaving with $33 Million worth of chips!
